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Classification of Living Reptiles and Amphibians

--mostly as per Zug (1993)

(Taxa higher than family are of various taxonomic ranks)

Amphibians extant 4,300, reptiles extant 6,000, mammals extant 5,000, birds extant 8,600

AMPHIBIALissamphibia

Anura (Salientia) frog and toads

Ascaphidae tailed frogDiscoglossidae

Leiopelmatidae New Zealand-similar to Ascaphidae

Pelobatidae spadefoot toads Scaphiopus (N. America, Europe,

and Asia)Pelodytidae

Pipidae - Aquatic, primitive-Pipa, Xenopus clawed frogs (Africa &

South America)

RhinophrynidaeBrachycephalidae

Bufonidae - True toads, parotoid gland, (worldwide exc. Greenland& Austrialia)

Centrolenidae

DendrobatidaeHeleophrynidae

Hylidae tree frog > 500sp.- many arboreal - toe pads (mostly

Americas)

HyperoliidaeLeptodactylidae 800 - New World only.

Microhylidae Narrow-mouth frogs (Asia, Africa, NorthAmerica, South America)Myobatrachidae

Pelodryadidae

PseudidaeRanidae true frogs > 700 sp., (worldwide except South Australia

& Greenland)

Rhacophoridae - similar to Hylids, arboreal, foam nest, tropical

Rhinodermatidae 2 species (Argentina, Chile) Darwins frogmale parental care.

Sooglossidae

Caudata (Urodela) SalamandersCryptobranchidae Hellbender (Asia & North America) neotenic

Hynobiidae primitive Asian salamander

Sirenidae reduced legs no pelvic girdle or rear legs (neotenic)Ambystomatidae internal fertilization spermatophore (North

America)

Amphiumidae Amphiuma only genus, neotenic, reduced legs

Dicamptodontidae


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Plethodontidae worldwide, terrestrial, lungless

Proteidae Two genera (Protea, Necturus) Europe, North America

(mudpuppy)Salamandridae Europe, Asia, North America

Gymnophiona Caecilians ( Tropical Asia, South America, Africa)

Caeciliaidae most specious familyIchthyophiidae

Rhinatrematidae

ScolecomorphidaeTyphlonectidae

Uraeotyphlidae

REPTILIAAnapsida - turtles

Testudines (Chelonia) longitudinal vent, true penis

Pleurodira

ChelidaePelomedusidae

CryptodiraCheloniidae Green turtle, Loggerhead marine species

Dermochelyidae - Leatherback

Chelydridae Snapping turtleCarettochelyidae

Dermatemydidae

Kinosternidae - Stinkpot, Musk, and Mud turtle

Trionychidae soft-shelled turtlesEmydidae

Testudinidae lg. tortoises, most specious, wide

distributionDiapsida

Archosauria all dinosaurs and birds

Crocodylia longitudinal vent, 4-chambered heartAlligatoridae 4th mandibular tooth not visible

Crocodylidae marine, freshwater

Gavialidae 1 species (Gavial or Gharial), elongate slender

snout (India)Lepidosauria

Sphenodontida (Rhynchocephalia) sister taxon to all squamates,

Tuatara, lizard-likeSphenodontidae

Squamata lizards and snakes

[lizards] (Sauria, Lacertilia) suborder; hemipenis,transverse cloaca

Agamidae Old World; Draco, Agama, Uromastix

Chamaeleonidae chameleons Africa,

Madagascar


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Iguanidae mostly herbivorous

Polychridae Anoles Southern US or central

MexicoPhrynosomatidae over 100 sp., N. America-

Mexico

Crotaphytidae 2 genera, SW US & N MexicoCorytophanidae

Tropiduridae

HoplocercidaeOpluridae

Eublepharidae have eyelids, desert sp. terrestrial

Gekkonidae vertical pupils, expanded toe pads

Anguidae mostly tropical glass lizard, Alligatorlizard

Cordylidae

Dibamidae

GymnophthalmidaeHelodermatidae 2 sp., Gila monster, SW US &

MexicoLacertidae Old World counterpart of Teiidae,

some unisex

Scincidae - >1000 sp., many fossorial formsTeiidae New World whiptails Cnemidophorus

Varanidae monitors (Africa, S America,

Australia)

Xantusiidae night lizards, diurnal, secretive,fossorial

Xenosauridae

[worm lizards] (Amphisbaenia) suborder, reduced eyes,legless

Amphisbaenidae

Bipedidae front limbsRhineuridae found in Florida, forest ground litter

Trogonophidae

[snakes] (Serpentes, Ophidia) suborder

AnomalepididaeLeptotyphlopidae blindsnakes primitive, termite

specialists

TyphlopidaeAcrochordidae

Aniliidae

AtractaspididaeBoidae tropical Old/New World, vestigial hind

limbs

Bolyeriidae

Colubridae not monophyletic


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Elapidae coral snakes, cobras, mambas, sea

snakes

LoxocemidaePythonidae 3 genera (Africa, India, Australia)

Uropeltidae

Viperidae worldwide exc. Australia, hinged fangXenopeltidae

Major Higher Taxa of World Herps

The following classification largely follows Zug (1993). Also following Zug

(1993) categories higher than family are not assigned ranks. You will be required toknow taxa marked with asterisks, other names are provided for organizational purposes,

or just because they are interesting. This classification is not intended to represent

completely the relationships within the Amphibia and Retilia. (Similar categories are

generally in the same columns but differences in tree lengths result in some ambiguilty.)

AmphibiaLissamphibia

Gymnophiona

Family CaeciliaidaeCaudata

Cryptobranchoidea

Family Cryptobranchidae

SalamandroideaFamily Ambysitomatidae

Family Amphiumidae

Family PlethodontidaeFamily Proteidae

Family Salamandridae

MeantesFamily Sirenidae

Salienta

Anura

ArchobatrachiaFamily Ascaphidae

Family Discoglossidae

MesobatrachiaPipoidea

Family Pipidae

PelobatoideaFamily Pelobatidae

Neobatrachia

Bufonoidea

Family Bufonidae


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Family Dendrobatidae

Family Hylidae

MicrohyloideaFamily Microhylidae

Ranoidea

Family RanidaeReptilia

Anapsida

TestudinesCryptodira

Chelonoidea

Family Cheloniidae

Family DermochelyidaeChelydroidae

Family Chelydridae

Testudinoidea

Family EmydidaeFamily Testudinidae

TrionychoideaFamily Kinosternidae

Family Trionychidae

PleurodiraFamily Pelomedusidae

Diapsida

Sauria

ArchosauriaCrocodylia

Family Alligatoridae

Family CrocodylidaeLepidosauria

Sphenodotida

Family SphenodontidaeSquamata

Gekkota

Family Eublepharidae

Family GekkonidaeIguania

Family Agamidae

Family ChameleonidaeFamily Iguanidae

Family Phrynosomatidae

Family CrotaphytidaeFamily Polychridae

Autarchoglossa

Anguimorpha

Family Anguidae


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Family Helodermatidae

Family Varanidae

ScincomorphaFamily Lacertidae

Family Scincidae

Family TeiidaeAmphisbaenia

Family Amphisbaenidae

SerpentesScolicophidia

Family Leptotyphlopidae

Alethinophidia

Family BoidaeFamily Colubridae

Family Elapidae

Family Pythonidae

Family Viperidae

Herpetology Zoology 4154Spring 1994

Descriptions of herp families and other higher taxa. ( Numbers join parenthese indicatepages in)

Amphibia (3) Two phase life cycle (generally aquatic eggs/larvae, terrestrial or aquatic

adults), pedicellate teeth, two types of skin glands, no epidermal scales.

Gymophiona (335) Caecilians: Worm-like, no legs or girdles, distinct annuli, no

ear opening, some have dermal scales.Family Caeciliaidea (337) Largest family of caecilian, tropical America,

Africa, and India.

Caudata (340) Salamanders. Tailed amphibians, most have limbs and internalfertilization via Spermatophores.

Family Cryptobranchidae (341) - Hellbenders, Large neotenic

salamanders, completely aquatic as adults but lack external

gills, loose wrinkled skin.Family Abystomatidae (345) - Mole Salmander, Most have highly

terrestrial adults although some populations are neotenic,

all have lungs and thick tails.Family Amphiumidae (346) Large neotenic salamanders, adults

aquatic although external gills are lost, limbs are severely

reduced.Family Plethodontidae (348) lungless salamanders, all have

nasolabial groove. Diverse group


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Family Proteidae (349) Mudpuppies, neotenic, adults retain

external gills, tails are laterally compressed. Aquatic-

NecturusFamily Salamandridae (351) Newts, Skin generally rugose, many

are highly toxic. Notopthalums viridescens, Aposematic

color.Family Sirenidae- Neotenic, no hind limbs

Salienta (357) Frogs and toads, reduced an shortened vertebral column, no tails

(except Ascaphidae). Modified hindlimbs for jumpingFamily Ascaphidae (358) Monotypic family, males have

copulatory organ (tail). Primitive Frog.

Family Discoglossidae (359) European and Asian frogs, includes

fire bellied toads. Brightly colored ventor, rough skin.Family Pipidae (364) Generally aquatic, highly modified pertoral

and pelvic girdles, includes clawed frogs. Xenopus labis

Family Pelobatidae (361) Toad-like, warty skin, spadefoot toads

possess large keratinous tubercle on hind foot. Single largetubercle.

Family Bufonidae (366) True toads, stout robust bodies with thickskin, usually with numerous warts, worldwide distribution.

More than one tubercle.

Family Denrodatidae (368) Poison dart frogs, small slender frogsusually brightly (aposematically) colored. Toxic skin

secretions, treefrog-like disks

Family Hylidae (369) Treefrogs, highly diverse, most have slender

bodies and long limbs with expanded digit tips. Disks onends of digits. Chorus frogs may not have expanded digits

Family Microhylidae (373) Narrow mouth toads (in OK), stout

bodies with small heads, others resemble treefrogs.Gatrophryne

Family Ranidae (377) Extremely diverse (+700 sp), worldwide

distribution, typical frogs. Long jumping legs-GenusRana

reptiles and amphibians.doc

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